2012 Summer Program
SUMMER 2012 SEASON at a GLANCE
Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 7:30 PM

JUNE

PAMELA MEANS

Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 7:30 PM

SOUTHERN RAIL

Sunday, June 10, 2012 at 4:00 PM

QUABBIN VALLEY PRO MUSICA
Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 7:30 PM

Saturday, July 14, 2012 at 7:30 PM

VICKI GENFAN

Sunday, July 15, 2012 at 4:00 PM

GATHERING TIME

GUY MENDILOW

Thursday, July 19, 2012 at 7:30 PM

Saturday, June 16, 2012 at 7:30 PM

Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 7:30 PM

Sunday, June 17, 2012 at 4:00 PM

Saturday, July 28, 2012 at 7:30 PM

& AUBREY JOHNSON

DARLINGSIDE

REBECCA HARTKA
& GREGORY HAYES

Thursday, June 21, 2012 at 7:30 PM

TIM ERIKSEN

Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 7:30 PM

CHRISTINE OHLMAN
& REBEL MONTEZ

Sunday, June 24, 2012 at 4:00 PM

GLENN JONES

Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 7:30 PM

DIGNEY FIGNUS

Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 7:30 PM

SAMANTHA FARRELL
JULY

Sunday, July 1, 2012 at 4:00 PM

JUDITH GORDON

Saturday, July 7, 2012 at 7:30 PM

GIBBON the TROUBADOUR
Sunday, July 8, 2012 at 4:00 PM

LAURA SIERSEMA

JOLLY BEGGARS

RAYMOND MORIN
SAMIRAH EVANS

& HER HANDSOME DEVILS

AUGUST

NORTHERN ROUTES:
4 ADVENTURES IN NEW MUSIC

In the month of August, the 1794 Meetinghouse will present the best in adventurous,
underground music with performances by
artists working across a spectrum of experimental styles, from acoustic fusions of folk
and improvisation to electronic textures and
soundscapes.
The August schedule is presently being developed and will be determined and announced
in late June 2012... so stay tuned and check
our web site for an updated schedule.

Please visit our web site at

www.1794meetinghouse.org where
you can view our complete 2012 summer
schedule, get information about individual performers and purchase tickets online.
You can even listen to individual artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
music and watch their videos... just click
on their link.

5

1794 Meetinghouse
Dear Friends,
In 1987 a small group of dedicated individuals with a passion for the
performing arts, had a dream to create a cultural center in north central
Massachusetts. That vision was the inception of the 1794 Meetinghouse
Performing Arts Center; offering performing arts and theater of every
genre, to everybody.
As we now approach our 300th production at the Meetinghouse, we reflect upon the past and set our sights toward the future… and we come
to realize how intricate the relationship is that we share with you. We
cannot achieve our goals without your help.
2012 marks the 1794 Meetinghouse’s 25th year as a performing arts
center; the performance arts, local cultural centers, and artists are facing
severe budget cuts by way of cancelled grants, decreased Local Cultural
Arts Council support, and the prospect of a significant decrease in core
arts-and-culture spending in the next two years. In response, we are
making our strongest effort ever to galvanize our supporters and the
cultural community into action. Your support is more important to our
survival than ever before. But the door swings both ways and it is critical to understand the mutual importance we hold for each other. The
live performing arts at the Meetinghouse are not simply a frill or luxury.
There are very few things more nurturing than live performances of music and theater. It’s wonderful to watch a good movie and it’s wonderful
to see a good TV program or something funny on YouTube or listen to a
good recording, but there’s nothing like being in the room where something live is being created and produced right in front of you, and you get
to feel every aspect of it. I think it does integrate into your soul and make
you a better person.
This year we will play host to an ever-expanding range of professional,
and community performances including heart-stopping bluegrass, traditional and eclectic rock, classical, jazz, blues, soul, and new age music.
And the excitement is already building in anticipation of our August
Series: Northern Routes - 4 Adventures in New Music. Throughout August,
the Meetinghouse will present the best in adventurous, underground

6

2012 Summer Program
music by artists working across the spectrum of experimental styles, from acoustic fusions of folk and improvisation to electronic textures and landscapes.
Please spread the word and bring your friends and
family with you to any future shows. Filling the
house is essential to our financial success and
benefits performers and audiences alike. Lets
keep it local and always remember, we are the
“best deal in town”.
We depend on your continued support.
Sincerely,
Niles Larson, President

We gratefully acknowledge the
support of our advertisers,
sponsors, donors, volunteers,
and performers.
Our season is supported in part
by the Massachusetts Cultural
Council, a state agency, and by the
Athol, New Salem, Orange, Pelham,
Royalston, Shutesbury, Wendell,
and Warwick Cultural Councils, local
agencies supported by the
Massachusetts Cultural Council.

1794 Meetinghouse wishes to express our deepest appreciation to WJDF 97.3 FM for, once again,
being our annual season’s sponsor.
Since its beginning, WJDF has influenced the
communities it serves and always responded to
the public’s needs by enabling individuals, groups,
and communities to tell their own stories, to
share experiences and, in a media-rich world, to
become creators of, and contributors to media.

Official 2012 Season’s Sponsor

7

1794 Meetinghouse
GENERAL INFORMATION
Restrooms are available outside the building and to your right. This
includes a wheelchair accessible facility.

Handicap access is available via the ramp along the left side of the
Meetinghouse. Please notify us — in advance, if possible — of any
special needs, and we will guarantee you an appropriate seat.

Information about upcoming events is available on our web site,

www.1794meetinghouse.org. You can also receive notices from us
through the mail or email by signing the guest book in the foyer. We do
not share your name or address with any other organization!

Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the management.

No smoking in the Meetinghouse. No photography, audio or video
recording during performances except with the express consent of
1794 Meetinghouse, Inc.

1794 Meetinghouse Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a dual
purpose: to preserve the historic 1794 Meetinghouse structure, and to serve the
North Quabbin community by offering a varied range of accessible, enjoyable,
high quality programs.
The concerts in the Meetinghouse are our most visible activity, but we also
offer internships, prizes, and scholarships to area high school students and
maintain the beautiful historic building that serves as our home. In addition, we
provide support and a home base for the Quabbin Valley Pro Musica, the region’s
community chorus.

good time, and your support and enthusiasm will help ensure that we
can continue to bring you a wide selection of quality events.

Make a donation at whatever level you can. Your ticket price only

covers a fraction of the cost of presenting these events. A contribution
to our Annual Fund gives much-needed support to our many artistic
and educational programs. Underwriting a Named Event can be
a way to commemorate loved ones or to share your favorite kind of
music with the community. Other specific gift opportunities include
funding for theatrical lighting, building restoration and maintenance,
concert sponsorships, and inscription gifts honoring a friend or family
member, and, of course, advertising in this program guide next year.

Volunteer by selling tickets, painting shutters or helping at a fundraiser. Your time and skills are always welcome. We’re a small group
and fun to work with. Even one person’s help makes a big difference
to us — and it will to you too.

Quabbin Valley Pro Musica is directed by Dr.
Charles Heffernan, Professor Emeritus at the University
of Massachusetts, Amherst. He directed the Keene, New
Hampshire Chorale for more than twenty years. QVPM will
perform Leopold Mozart’s Missa Brevis, originally ascribed to
Leopold’s son Wolfgang. The program also includes offerings
by two choristers, Carolyn Brown Senier’s “Speranza” with
lyrics by her husband Richard Senier, and Allison Pollitt’s “Light
of Dedication,” with references to passages from Genesis. The
program opens with Wolfgang Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus.”
Dr. Heffernan has selected music by the late Massachusetts
twentieth century composer, Randall Thompson, including
an “Alleluia” and four parts of Frostiana, with words from
Amherst poet Robert Frost. Judy Johnson of Orange will
accompany the 40-member chorus on keyboard, and Mary
Carfagna of Petersham will add her cello to the Missa Brevis.
Sponsored by William Howe Oldach;
Breezeway Farm Consulting, John Ryan & Linda Overing,
in memory of Edyth Overing, longtime
1794 Meetinghouse board and QVPM member;
and Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
Adults $15. Children 12 and under FREE.

19

1794 Meetinghouse
Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 7:30 PM

GUY MENDILOW
& AUBREY JOHNSON
www.guymendilow.com

One of Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most original world-music acts.
Get ready for a musical voyage awash with warm harmonies, intricate textures and spellbinding vocal improvisations.
Award winning performers Guy Mendilow and Aubrey
Johnson breathe new life into centuries-old Sephardi romanzas and canticas. Epic tales of sailors and love lost to the
seas, of fantastic dreams and the intrigue of kings and queens
abound in arrangements that crackle and evolve in rich musical storytelling.
Now, for the 2012/13 season
only, Israeli-born composer
Guy Mendilow (twice voted
Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best World Music Act
- Boston Phoenix) and Aubrey
Johnson (voice faculty, Berklee College of Music, Boston)
break away from theaters,
festivals and from their sextet
to offer a special duo presentation geared especially for
the intimacy of smaller venues.

Sponsored by
Athol Savings Bank
Adults $15. Children 12 and under FREE.

20

2012 Summer Program
Saturday, June 16, 2012, at 7:30 PM

DARLINGSIDE

www.darlingside.com
Darlingside resides at the intersection of rock,
classical and folk
Under one roof in New England’s Pioneer Valley,
Darlingside came together with five songwriters, a
mandolin, a cello and violin, guitars and drums, a chorus
of voices, and a van named Chauncey. Holed up in their
home between a cornfield and the Connecticut River, they
forged a seamless, exhilarating sound at the intersection
of rock, classical, and folk music. The band is currently
rolling out an innovative subscription album, Pilot Machines,
and shaking rafters along the eastern seaboard with their
vibrant live shows.
Following 2010’s self-recorded EP 1, Darlingside teamed
up with producer Nathaniel Kunkel (Sting, Crosby/Nash,
Maroon 5) in 2011 to turn their house into a hi-fi recording
laboratory and playground. The result was Pilot Machines,
an insistently melodic collection of new songs that feel both
familiar and ground-breaking. The band is now in the midst
of an ambitious release, with three 7” records and a string of
exclusive pre-release events ramping up toward the
full-length album in
Summer 2012.
Sponsored by
Athol Daily News and
Workers’ Credit Union
Adults $15. Children
12 and under FREE.

21

1794 Meetinghouse
Sunday, June 17, 2012 at 4 PM

REBECCA HARTKA & GREGORY HAYES
www.rebeccahartka.com
Virtouso cello and piano
Active as a soloist, chamber
musician and educator, cellist
Dr. Rebecca Hartka released her
debut CD “Folkfire” in October
2010, receiving critical acclaim as
well as radio play on both WFCR
and WAMC Performance Place.
Her international solo debut in
2007 in Vietnam was reviewed by
a local paper as “... no less than
magical and eloquent.” As comfortable in a café as a concert hall,
Hartka has appeared in venues such as the Boston Center
for the Arts, the Rockwood music club in New York and Club
Passim in Cambridge, MA. She has recently appeared at the
Dweck Center for Contemporary Culture in Brooklyn, NY.
Joining the cellist on stage will be internationally known
pianist, Gregory Hayes. Hayes
has taught piano and harpsichord at
Dartmouth College since 1991. He is a
busy chamber musician and orchestral
keyboard player, and has appeared as
soloist with the Springfield Symphony
Orchestra.
Sponsored by
Fiske, Murphy & Mack Funeral Home, Orange, MA
Adults $10. Children 12 and under FREE.

Tim Eriksen is acclaimed for transforming American
tradition with his startling interpretations of old ballads,
love songs, shape-note gospel and dance tunes from New
England and Southern Appalachia. He combines hair-raising
vocals with inventive accompaniment on banjo, fiddle,
guitar and bajo sexto - a twelve string Mexican acoustic bass
creating a distinctive hardcore Americana sound that ranges
from the bare bones of
solo unaccompanied
singing, through the
stripped-down voice and
bajo sexto, to the lush,
multi-layered arrangements of northern roots
American music.
Eriksen’s own compositions, which NetRhythms UK described
as “strange and original works,” have been featured in films
like the Billy Bob Thornton vehicle Chrystal and the upcoming
documentary Behold the Earth. Eriksen’s other notable work
has included extensive contributions to Anthony Minghella’s
2004 Oscar-winning film Cold Mountain as well as collaborations ranging from hardcore punk and Bosnian pop to
symphony orchestra and the 2010 Grammy-nominated
album Across the Divide with Afro-Cuban
world-jazz pianist Omar Sosa.
Sponsored by Athol/Orange Rotary Club
Adults $15. Children 12 and under FREE.

Christine Ohlman is the current, long-time vocalist with
the Saturday Night Live Band, who sang at SNL’s 25th Anniversary telecast, Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary bash at The
Garden (with George Harrison, Chrissie Hynde, and others),
the 2009 Obama Inaugural Gala in Washington, D.C., The
Lincoln Center “American Songbook” series with Sting, Lou
Reed and Van Dyke Parks. She appears on Grammy nominees A Tribute To Howlin’ Wolf (with Taj Mahal and Lucinda
Williams) and Charlie Musselwhite’s One Night In America
(with Marty Stuart); Ohlman sings the theme song for NBC’s
30 Rock. With Christine is her band Rebel Montez (Michael
Colbath-bass; Cliff Goodwinguitar; Larry Donahue-drums).
“I’ve come here tonight to set
your souls on fire,” she’ll tell an
audience. And she will.

Mitch Chakour, stellar musician, music impresario and former music director for Joe Cocker
will be a special guest joining
Ohlman and Montez.
Get ready for a show that’s incendiary and eclectic!
Sponsored by
Linqsongs Publishing, Royalston, MA;
and Workers’ Credit Union
Adults $15. Children 12 and under FREE.

24

2012 Summer Program
Sunday, June 24, 2012, at 4 PM

GLENN JONES

www.frontporchproductions.org/artist/glennjones

The best guitarist you never heard of

Glenn Jones has led Boston’s “avant -garage”
instrumental rock band, Cul de Sac, whose musical
adventures are documented on nine albums to date,
including a soundtrack for cult-director Roger Corman, and
collaborations with guitarist John Fahey and former
Can vocalist Damo Suzuki.
A 30+ year devotee of
the so-called American Primitive school
of acoustic steel string
guitarists, Glenn has
been playing guitar
since the age of 14.
Jones has performed
with and written
extensively about the
leading lights of the
American Primitive guitar style,
John Fahey and Robbie Basho.
Sponsored by
Athol Daily News
Adults $15. Children 12 and under FREE.

25

1794 Meetinghouse
Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 7:30 PM

DIGNEY FIGNUS
www.digney.com

Sophisticated blend of blues, folk and cajun

Digney Fignus is a Boston based singer/songwriter. His
latest CD, Last Planet on the Left further cements Digney’s
standing as one of the most complete and thought-provoking
songwriters gracing the roots/Americana landscape. Lyrically
positive and musically as brilliant as ever. “Fig’s” songs have
more hooks and lures than a fishing tackle box. If his music
doesn’t get you moving, check your pulse and see if you’re
still alive!”
Doug Sloan of Metronome Magazine says of Fignus, “Sounding
like Randy Newman in his heyday,
Digney wrangles up songs that
bubble with grooves so infectious,
you’re going to need a good liniment to work them out.”
Digney arrived on the music scene
playing guitar and singing in a
three-piece Boston punk band
called the SPIKES. Digney’s big break came when he won the
MTV basement tapes with his hit song and video The Girl
With The Curious Hand.
Digney’s shows are high-energy full throttle fun that feature
contagious songs you’ll be singing the next day.
Sponsored by Highland Press, Athol, MA
Adults $10. Children 12 and under FREE.

26

2012 Summer Program
Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 7:30 PM

SAMANTHA FARRELL

www.samanthafarrell.com

Singer/songwriter, jazzy folk rock vocals

Samantha Farrell is a sparkling young singer-songwriter
who’s been criss-crossing the country and wowing audiences from the left to the right coast. It’s been a very good
year for the Boston native who got her start in Los Angeles.
Recently described by the Huffington Post as possessing “a
liquor-honey voice, deft guitar work, and slightly melancholic
tones that meld to form an aching and elegant aural tapestry,” she’s been reviewed by major
music mags such as Relix, played
for at-capacity venues across the
country and New England, and
independently released an album
and EP which knocked Whitney
Houston out of her number seven
position on the national iTunes
charts. An independent artist to
the bone, she’s building something
special, one show, one song, one
fan at a time.
Her music has been heard on several major network
television shows (NBC’s “Shark”, CW’s “One Tree Hill”
& “Privileged”) as well as numerous independent movies.
Sam’s album, Luminous was entered into the first round for
consideration of a 2010 Grammy nomination.

Sponsored by Stan’s Liquors, Athol, MA
Adults $10. Children 12 and under FREE.

27

1794 Meetinghouse
Sunday, July 1, 2012 at 4 PM

JUDITH GORDON

www.smith.edu/music/faculty_gordon.php
Classical piano solo

Judith Gordon gave her New York debut recital at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1990. She has performed
concertos by Mozart, SaintSaëns, and Ravel with the Boston
Pops Orchestra, and works by
Bach,Schumann, Rachmaninoff,
Hindemith, Berg, and Boulez with
ensembles that include St. Paul
Chamber Orchestra, the Boston
Modern Orchestra Project and
the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. She has worked with a wide
range of living composers, among
them Martin Brody, Peter Child,
Alan Fletcher, John Harbison, Lee Hyla, Peter Lieberson, and
Donald Wheelock, almost all of whom have written works for
her. In 1997 she was selected by the Boston Globe as “Musician of the Year.” She joined the Smith College music faculty
in 2006.
Ms. Gordon has collaborated in performance and on recordings with artists including singers Lisa Saffer, Janice
Felty, Mary Nessinger, Krista River, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson,
William Hite, and James Maddalena; cellists Andres Diaz,
Rhonda Rider, and Yo-Yo Ma; violists Cynthia Phelps, Marcus
Thompson, and Roger Tapping; violinists Rose Mary Harbison
and Andrew Kohji Taylor; flutists Fenwick Smith and Adam
Kuenzel; Imani Winds, the Jacques Thibaud String Trio, and
the Borromeo, Daedalus, and Lydian String Quartets.
Adults $10. Children 12 and under FREE.

28

2012 Summer Program
Saturday, July 7, 2012, at 7:30 PM

GIBBON the TROUBADOUR

www.gibbonthetroubadour.com

A 21st Century Caricature of a 16th Century Minstrel.
Powerful 12 String Guitar and Vocals
A seasoned musician-entertainer, Garlod Amadon
accompanies himself on accoustic twelve-string guitar in a
powerful vocal performance. In true troubadour spirit, his
pictorial introductions possess a unique edge that shapes
each of his lyrical compositions into captivating ballads.
Amadon hails from Athol, Massachusetts. Throughout the
70’s, the entertainment scene in New England sparked
Garold’s strong desire to travel and bring his music to
college towns and resort areas. Before leaving the northeast
he averaged 150 club dates per year and accumulated over
60 performances in musical theatre in several lead roles
with two community theatre groups.
A Garold Amadon performance
will swing you from a light jazzy
format to heart-felt original versions of 70’s folk-rock ballads. He’ll
set you sailing across the wild briny
ocean swells with rich samples of
original and traditional seafarin’
tunes that are sure to raise many a
tankard in stouthearted fashion.
Adults $10.
Children 12 and under FREE.

29

1794 Meetinghouse
Sunday, July 8, 2012 at 4 PM

LAURA SIERSEMA
www.laurasiersema.com

Dreamy, Lush, Fiercely Original Folk
Her dreamy voice is sure to delight the audience as she transforms the folk music of her childhood into new and visionary
works.

Laura Siersema didn’t know music was her purpose in
life until she went away to college—by then the family had
moved to Florida. During classes at University of Florida she
wrote lyrics on napkins and, in-between classes, stole away to
the auditorium to play the piano for hours.
Standing next to the bar inside
a dimly lit Folk City one night,
awaiting her turn to play, an
epiphany came and lingered
for a moment: “This is where I
belong.” Music was a low
simmering desire that seemed
to take forever to establish itself
in real life. She bought a piano,
gave lessons, accompanied New
York Women’s Chorus for a
few years… and took her first
classical voice lessons with
Natalie Burgess.
Appearing with Laura are Billy Klock, drums; and
Wim Aver, fretless bass.
Adults $10. Children 12 and under FREE.

Pamela Means is an acclaimed musical provocateur,
independent, nationally and internationally touring artist
whose “mad-guitar-and-vocal skills,” razor wit poetry and
irresistible charm have captivated audiences across the
United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.
She performs both high energy and politically informed
acoustic music in over 150
shows each year at colleges,
theaters, clubs, coffeehouses,
and festivals. She is a favorite
at Black History Month and
Women’s Month celebrations,
Gay Pride events, and Take
Back the Night rallies. With
Truth as ammunition, a Pamela
Means performance brings the
struggle for social justice and
human dignity to the forefront of a new generation.
Pamela has shared the stage with artists including
Ani DiFranco, Joan Baez, Neil Young, Shawn Colvin,
Richie Havens, Patty Larkin, Melissa Ferrick, Violent Femmes,
Pete Seeger, Janis Ian, Holly Near and many others.
Adults $10.
Children 12 and under FREE.

31

1794 Meetinghouse

DEDICATED TO
PLAYING THE
BEST MUSIC
EVERY DAY

32

2012 Summer Program

PROUD TO BE
CELEBRATING
OUR 17TH YEAR
ON THE AIR
WJDF is the 1794 Meetinghouse’s 2012 Season Sponsor
33

1794 Meetinghouse
Saturday, July 14, 2012 at 7:30 PM

VICKI GENFAN

www.vickigenfan.com
Singer/songwriter, guitarist extraordinaire
With a mastery of the acoustic guitar that borders on pure
alchemy, audiences are mesmerized by the waves of sound
Vicki Genfan creates with just two hands and her voice,
drawing on folk, jazz, pop, soul, and world music. Using
29 alternate tunings and the percussive technique she calls
“slap-tap,” audiences find the addition of her pure, expressive vocals to be the perfect accompaniment on many of her
songs. Vicki adds warmth and humor to create an unforgettable evening of music that leaves the audience always
wanting more. Perhaps her most celebrated award came in
the form of first prize in the 2008 Guitar Player Magazine’s
Guitar Superstar competition. Jim Fusilli of the Wall Street
Journal, noting that the magazine is a “male-dominated domain,” stated: “It’s
a stunning victory, a
barrier shattered.”
Vicki has been
recognized among
the world’s greatest
guitarists at festivals
such as The International Montreal Jazz Festival, Germany’s
Open Strings Guitar Festival, Italy’s Soave Guitar Festival, as
well as at venues and Performing Arts Centers across the U.S.
and abroad.
Sponsored by
Witty’s Funeral Home, Orange/Athol, MA
and Patrick Bullis, CPA, Athol, MA.
Adults $15. Children 12 and under FREE.

34

2012 Summer Program
Sunday, July 15, 2012, at 4 PM

GATHERING TIME

www.gatheringtimetrio.com
Stunning Folk Harmonies
Miraculous three-part vocal blends uplifted by fine, noteperfect acoustic, electric and bass guitar - all this plus light,
precise percussion...just the right amount...create the wall of
sound and wave of memories we now know as Gathering
Time. With a stylistic breadth ranging from the dyed-in-thewool folk sound of Peter, Paul & Mary to the folk-rock harmonic complexity of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Gathering Time is
a trio that’s “getting a whole
beehive-full of buzz” on the
Long Island and national folk
scene right now. Undeniably,
their original songs reveal the
influences of The Byrds, Simon
& Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell,
The Eagles and many more
harmonizing favorites from the golden era of ‘60s folk-rock
and the melodic magic of ‘70s acoustic rock.
Glen, Hillary & Stuart are fast becoming known for their
seamless vocal blend, memorable melodies, meaningful lyrics and easy-going, fun chemistry on stage. Bob McKillop of
MaineFolkMusic.com writes, “Gathering Time has perfected
two separate but related art forms: three part harmony and
having a ball on stage! When they harmonize, some sort of
fundamental, cosmic concordance occurs that makes you very
happy that you have ears.”
Sponsored in memory of
Dorothy Hayden and Tom Hayden by their family and friends.
Adults $15. Children 12 and under FREE.

35

1794 Meetinghouse
Thursday, July 19, 2012, at 7:30 PM

THE JOLLY BEGGARS

www.thejollybeggarsmusic.com
Rich, traditional Celtic music

The Jolly Beggars
bring the rich tradition of
Celtic music to audiences
all over the North Eastern
United States.
Made up of students
from the Hartt School of
Music in West Hartford,
CT, their traditional songs
and musical arrangements have exposed
many music lovers to the
joys of Celtic music.They tell traditional stories from Irish
folklore and intersperse their musical arrangements with traditional reels and jigs. Characterized by their tight
harmonies and use of mandolin, pennywhistle, guitar, bass,
bodhran, spoons, and more, The Jolly Beggars have quickly
built a solid following and continue to spread their music
through New England and the Tri-State area.
The band performs music that is largely Celtic in origin
(Irish and Scottish), with some pieces coming from an
extension of that music in other cultures.
Sponsored by
Athol 250th Anniversary Celebration
and William Kessler Investments, Athol, MA
Adults $10. Children 12 and under FREE.

36

2012 Summer Program
Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 7:30 PM

RAYMOND MORIN

www.sortofrecords.com/pairdown

Ambitious Acoustic Guitar Playing
Original Songs and Bluesy Melodies

Raymond Morin comprises half of the group Pairdown:
Pairdown is the folk-blues &
experimental group co-founded by
singer-guitarists David Leicht &
Raymond Morin. They’ve released
two albums, the eponymous EP
(2006) and Holykyle (2009), both
featuring inter-dependent fingerstyle guitar work blended with
inventive songwriting.
Since late 2005, Pairdown has performed on bills with
notable acoustic and experimental acts including Brokeback,
Jack Rose, Wooden Wand, Red Horse, The Impossible Shapes,
Great Lake Swimmers, David Daniell, Milo Jones, D. Charles
Speer, The Ditty Bops, Dodo Bird, Luke Doucet, Odawas,
and Eleni Mandell, Death Vessel and Micah Blue Smaldone.
Morin also owns and operates the label Sort Of Records,
which has released over twenty albums of “challenging music
in limited edition, hand-made packaging��� everything from
ragtime acoustic guitar music to abrasive out-jazz, jangly pop
and post-punk.”
Adults $10. Children 12 and under FREE.

37

1794 Meetinghouse
Saturday, July 28, 2012, at 7:30 PM

Champagne Reception for the closing
of the 2012 Season at 6:45 P.M.

SAMIRAH EVANS and her HANDSOME DEVILS

www.samirahevans.com

Jazz singer with a mellifluously dynamic voice
In New Orleans, a city known worldwide for its music,
Samirah was one of its most popular jazz and blues vocalists. She first performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage
Festival in 1990, and became a regular fixture as either a
leader or featured vocalist for 14 consecutive years. She has
toured Europe, Asia, and both North
and South America as a headliner,
and shared stages with a multitude
of legendary artists from B.B. King
and James Brown, to New Orleans
own Queen of Soul, Irma Thomas.
Samirah’s live performance repertoire runs the gamut from raunchy
blues to jazz smooth as silk. She has
often been compared to Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson,
and Etta James. Like many jazz and
blues artists, Samirah dedicates time to perpetuating indigenous American music.
Her success has continued in New England, and she has been
heard at many popular theaters, nightspots, and supper club
venues throughout the region. The instrumental musical talent of her “handsome devils” is truly amazing and virtuosic.
Sponsored by
Tully Mountain Produce, Royalston, MA
and Miller’s River Cafe, Orange, MA
Adults $15. Children 12 and under FREE.

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2012 Summer Program
AUGUST2012
Progressive, Experimental Music Series Throughout August

NORTHERN ROUTES

4 ADVENTURES IN NEW MUSIC

In the month of August, the 1794 Meetinghouse will
present the best in adventurous, underground music
with performances by artists working across a spectrum
of experimental styles, from acoustic fusions of folk and
improvisation to electronic textures and soundscapes.
The August schedule is presently being developed and
will be determined and announced by late June 2012...
so check our web site for artists, dates and details.
This series is sponsored by
Franklin Community Co-op/Green Fields & McCuskerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Markets,
Greenfield & Shelburne Falls, MA
and Orange Innovation Center, Orange, MA

2012 Summer Program
Preschool, Kindergarten
& Grades 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;6
An affordable independent school with a unique curriculum
based on direct contact with the natural world,
kindness, and attention to the individual.

If you would like to join this list, please send your donation today!
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all donations are fully tax-deductible.
We appreciate support from the Town of New Salem, Local Cultural Councils, and the
Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Thanks also to the members and supporters
of the Quabbin Valley Pro Musica, the Central Congregational Church of New Salem,
and to all our hardworking board members, staff, volunteers, and friends.
If we haven’t listed your name or if we have made an error, please let us know. Thank You.

Presenting Our Summer 2012 Schedule
Friday, June 22, 7:30 pm; on the Bandstand
Friday, June 29, 7:30 pm; on the Bandstand
Friday, July 6, 7:30 pm; on the Bandstand
Friday, July 13, 7:30 pm; on the Bandstand
For Information, Visit Us At:
www.orangecommunityband.com

Friday, July 20, 7:30 pm; on the Bandstand
Friday, July 27, 7:30 pm; on the Bandstand

What is Rotary?

There are more than 32,000 Rotary Clubs and over 1.2 million
members worldwide. The stated purpose of the organization is to
bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill
and peace in the world. Since its inception in 1925, the Rotary Club of Athol/
Orange has supported hundreds of charities and touched thousands of people
through its many programs. If you would like more information about how
you can get more involved in our communities through ROTARY, call TED
LEDGARD at 978-248-2001.

Service Above Self... They Profit Most Who Serve Best

59

1794 Meetinghouse
T

do the arts matter?

he arts operate at the core of human identity and existence. They operate at the cutting edge of a science that is now trying to unravel the puzzle
of consciousness and identity. How did we come to know, to understand,
to grow? When did the pieces fall into place? Not on some graph. The graph
is proof and proof comes afterwards. Proof is important to science because
scientists start with speculation and conjecture to arrive at reality. The Arts’
job is to change reality, to challenge it, not prove it and explain it.
Now your little detour to the 1794 Meetinghouse probably hasn’t got much
to do with the national performing arts in their grand scheme, but it is
important right here, right now because there’s been a growing pressure
on the arts to justify themselves, to prove their case, make their graphs and
their pie-charts. We know the ripple effect of funding the arts leads to better
dollar multipliers than many other expenditures and we know that cities
with strong arts opportunities are more vibrant and attract more business
and tourism.
So, what else do we know, and have studied and measured?
We know that countries with strong cultural identities demonstrate
greater social cohesion, and so on. Basically, all sorts of studies have been
done, key-performance indicators, measured and indeed graphed.
But there is more. We must remember the arts do more than just that.
Artists process experience and make experience available and understandable. They change people’s lives, at the risk of their own. They change
countries, governments, history, gravity. After gravity, culture is the thing
that holds humanity in place, in an otherwise constantly shifting and, let’s
face it, tiny outcrop in the middle of an infinity of nowhere.
What I’m saying I don’t think anyone would deny, and yet no one seems
prepared to constantly value that the arts give people the chance to make
sense of the experience of their lives, their brief lives, and the tool to
communicate that unique sense in another person or people.
Thank you for stopping by, I hope you’ll return.
The experiment continues.
Michael Ruocco,
executive director

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2012 Summer Program

BROTHERS

The 1794 Meetinghouse

North Quabbin’s Center for the Performing Arts.

There’s Beautiful Music in Your Own Backyard!
Just 20 minutes from Amherst... 30 minutes from Northampton...
and only 40 minutes from Brattleboro, Keene, or Worcester.
1794 Meetinghouse is centrally located and close to everywhere!
For $15 or less, you can hear artists you’d pay three to four times
as much to hear elsewhere in the area. This popular acoustic
hall is great for listeners and a favorite for performers.
Located on the Common in beautiful New Salem, Massachusetts.
26 South Main Street
978-544-5200
Visit us online to view our season schedule, listen to and watch
performers, make a tax deductible contribution,
or purchase tickets to any of our events.
www.1794meetinghouse.org

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1794 Meetinghouse

62

We’re Part of
Your Community

We understand what

this community means
to you and your family. It means security. Togetherness.
Strength. Caring. Friendship. This community is a place
where you matter. This community is where you make a
difference in people’s lives.
We share these values. It’s our job to make sure you understand what’s happening in your community by bringing the
issues that matter the most to you clearly and responsibly.
It’s a job we take seriously.
We’re proud to be part of your community and prouder still
to call you our neighbor.
ATHOL DAILY NEWS is The North Quabbin Region’s Own Daily Newspaper
Since 1934, Including the towns of Athol, Orange, Warwick, Erving, Wendell,
New Salem, Royalston, Phillipston, and Petersham.
Visit our Website: www.atholdailynews.com • Email Us: adn@atholdailynews.com